WELCOME TO OLLE TÖRNQUIST’S
HOMEPAGE - HEMSIDA
Born, living and now also working in the northwestern Swedish archipelago, in rooms with a view (see below). Educated at the universities of Gothenburg and Uppsala (PhD 1983). Professor of Political Science and Development Research at the University of Oslo from 1997. My focus, since half a century, is the rise and
decline of the second (anti-colonial) and third (liberal and civic)
waves of democracy, along with efforts at rights based development. Especially in South- and Southeast Asia, but also the effects and reactions in the North, particularly Scandinavia. My own fieldwork has been in India (mainly Kerala), the Philippines and especially Indonesia, where I was also co-directing research with the democracy movement 1996-2016. However, the studies are carried out in a wider comparative framework, along with colleagues in various parts of the Global South and North. At times while sailing, skiing or walking.
Recent & topical texts
- "Så enkelt var det inte". Recension av Vincent Bevins Jakartametoden.
http://www.tidskriftenarkiv.se/index.php/hem/article/view/2000-6217.15.R4
- "Kulturkampen behöver inte vara ihålig",
https://www.dagensarena.se/innehall/kulturkampen-behover-inte-vara-ihalig/
- https://www.dagensarena.se/essa/kan-den-socialdemokratiska-iden-raddas/ 'Can the idea of Social Democracy be rescued' (edited) PDF. In Kerala Economy 4:2 (2023)PDF
https://agendamagasin.no/debatt/kan-den-sosialdemokratiske-ideen-reddes/
- 'Är demokratin, förvaltningen och domstolarna ett hinder för hållbar utveckling?' PDF
- 'Ukraine, Right-weing Nationalism and Globalisation' Jakarta Post 26-27/11/22 PDF
- 'Ukraine, Right-Wingers and the Crisis of Democracy' The Hindu25/11/22 PDF
- 'Högernationalismen, Globaliseringen och Demokratins Kris'
https://tidningenglobal.se/2022/nummer-454/hogernationalismen-globaliseringen-och-demokratins-kris/
- 'The Pole Star of Social Democracy is Burning Out, What Shall We Do Now?'
https://cids.up.edu.ph/policy-brief/pole-star-social-democracy-burnt-out-what-should-we-do-now/
- Slutet på den liberala demokratin? Lärdomar från den Filippinska katastrofen. Dagens Arena Essä. https://www.dagensarena.se/essa/ar-detta-slutet-pa-den-liberala-demokratin-filippinerna/
- 'Hur kunde det gå så illa för Indonesiens demokrati? (& hur den motverkas av Västs sätt att bekämpa den ryska imperialismen) 30/04/22
https://www.dagensarena.se/essa/hur-kunde-det-ga-sa-illa-indonesien-demokrati/ Also in Klassekampen May 5, 2022 PDF PDF
- "Socialdemokratin och Internationalism" i TIDEN 1-2022. PDF
- 'The Missing New Indonesian Left', in 'New Mandala' and in Indonesian in 'Forum 100 Ilmuwan Sosial Politik LP3ES'. https://www.newmandala.org/part-1-the-missing-new-indonesian-left/ https://www.newmandala.org/part-2-the-missing-new-indonesian-left/
- 'Governance, Welfare-based Development and Covid-19: Sweden and Kerala in Comparative Perspective'. In Tharamangalam, and J. Chathukulam (eds), 'Cooperativism, Self-Management and Decentralised Development', (Routledge) Draft for comments only: PDF
- ‘Contribution to the Critique of “Social Democracy in one Country”’. PDF in Granadino, A. et al.(eds) Rethinking European Social Democracy and Socialism: The History of the (routledge.com)
- ‘Linking Public Action. Kerala's Challenges in Comparative Perspective.' In Chathukulam, J. and J. Moolakkattu (eds) 'Challenges to Local Governance in the Pandemic Era'.
https://www.cambridgescholars.com/product/978-1-5275-8174-6/.
- (revised) ‘Linking Public Action. Kerala's Challenges in Comparative Perspective in the Years of the Pandemic' Economic and Political Weekly no 25, June 18, 2022. PDF
- with Patrick Heller: Making Sense of Kerala: A closer look at the social democratic experiment of India's southern State. The Hindu 13.12.2021 PDF
- På spaning efter ny socialdemokrati
https://www.dagensarena.se/essa/pa-spaning-efter-ny-socialdemokrati/
- Socialdemokratin måste höja blicken
https://www.sydostran.se/ledare/gastledare-socialdemokratin-maste-hoja-blicken-d2e84001 Även i Klassekampebn 3/11/21
- Försvara demokratin i Sotenäs
- Demokratibiståndet behöver förbättras - inte ersättas' (med Lars Rudebeck).2021.09.05
https://www.dagensarena.se/essa/demokratibistandet-behover-forbattras-inte-ersattas/
- 'Indien är inte bara elände, det finns ett alternativ'-Kerala' i Dagens ETC 23/6/21 PDF, PDF2 i Klassekampen 19/6/21 PDF Rough English translation: 'India is not just misery' PDF
- 'Nya lärdomar från ett gammalt folkmord'
https://www.dagensarena.se/essa/nya-lardomar-fran-ett-gammalt-folkmord/
- Review of John Roosa's 'Buried Histories: The Anticommunist Massacres of 1965-1966 in Indonesia. John Roosa. Journal of Contemporary Asia.PDF https://doi.org/10.1080/00472336.2021.1904271
- (med Britt Wall och Kjell Andersson Förstör inte det som gör vårt Bohuslän unikt | Bohusläningen (bohuslaningen.se)
- ‘Challenges for Social Democracy in the South’. In Bratberg, Ø, Brandal, N. and Thorsen D.E. (Eds.). ‘Social Democracy in the 21st Century’ Comparative Social Research 35. OT's presentation Svenska PDF
- ‘Demokrati och fack i global rävsax’ https://www.dagensarena.se/essa/demokrati-och-fack-global-ravsax/
- ’Staten och den sociala kraften (kampen mot Covid-19 i Sverige & Kerala) https://www.dagensarena.se/essa/staten-och-den-sociala-kraften/
- ‘From irony of success to tragedy of failure’ Jakarta Post 30. 10.20 PDF
- Review of ‘Labour and Politics in Indonesia’ by Caraway, T. & Ford. M. Journal of Contemporary Asia (2020) https://doi.org/10.1080/00472336.2020.1861641 PDF
- ‘Homage to AE Priyono’. Jakarta Post 13. 04.20 PDF
- ‘In memoriam: Arief Budiman, architect of the democracy movement, Jakarta Post 26.04.20 PDF
- ‘Inåtvänd vänsterpolitik bakom Labours förlust’ https://www.etc.se/debatt/inatvand-vansterpolitik-bakom-labours-forlust
- ‘The rise and crumbling of reformist populism in Indonesia’ Jakarta Post 29-30.10.19 PDF
- ‘The legacies of the Indonesian counter-revolution: New insights and remaining issues’ Journal of Contemporary Asia (2019) PDF
- Juridiken kan inte ensam lösa miljötillstånden, politiken behövs också: fallet Smögenlax. Bohusläningen 13-11-19, PDF
- Öppet brev (m. Stefan Edman) till regeringen om Smögenlax, 13-11-19, PDF
Briefings, talks & comments
- 'Can the Idea of Social Democracy be Rescued?' Frontlines of Democracy, Toronto 11-05-23 PDF
- 'The North-South Question for Swedish Social Democrats- Seven Phases', Rome, 27-03-23, PDF
- Presentation (on the need to internationalise Social Democracy) to seminar at DIIS, Cph, 1/2/23 on 'New Social Order:North South Learnings, PDF
- 'Efforts at Social Democracy and the Rise of Rightist Reaction'. PDFs for talk, S. Asia Institute, Heidelberg, 14/11/22. PDF
- Contribution to Round Table discussion on Indonesia in Oslo: Historical legacies: What Indonesia has overcome i its trasition from authoritarian to more democratic rule, and what should now be done. PDF
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Dilemmas of coordination, between dominance and localism. Draft paper for comments only to International Webinar on ‘Grassroots Participation and Local Development: Learnings from the People’s Plan Campaign’ in Kerala (India) and ‘Batho Pele Initiative’ in South Africa, May 25-27, 2022. PDF for commets only
- Lecture in Indonesia on citizenship, the case of Scandinavia
https://open.spotify.com/episode/4BcJ9pkbvlaD7TufE7aPW0?si=UrecZJM6TKCMKYcCXGBSug&context=spotify%3Ashow%3A72IR0AAGiUC6Oj7DoiUXQc
- Motverka historierevisionismen i 'Dagens ETC'! PDF 'Låt bli att förtala demokratin' i Aktuellt i Politiken 16-03-22 PDF
- My concluding 'endbook': In Search of New Social Democracy: Insights from the South – Implications for the North. London: Zed-Bloomsbury. Published 23/9/21. Flyer with reviews and discount 35% Link toBloomsb Sneak premiere presentation, PDF
- Soc dem Asia Podcast (on Spotify): Ep.26/ Social Democracy for Our Times:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6jMEyX7mryUTZOotABpza8?si=5497f4270d1a4cc0
- Talk on the importance of democratic partnership governance at the 'Inclusi' conference in Medan 22.02.22. PDF
- Book seminars: Oslo 7/12 PDF Kerala 8/12 PDF Skytteanum 18/3, PDF, Indonesia April e.g. PDF
- Recent reviews by Gerry v Klinken and by Stanley Adi Prasetyo of the book:
https://www.insideindonesia.org/review-a-project-for-the-whole-world
https://majalah.tempo.co/read/buku/165783/mengapa-demokrasi-indonesia-menghasilkan-oligarki
- Podcast with summary of the arguments:
https://newbooksnetwork.com/in-search-of-new-social-democracy-insights-from-the-south-implications-for-the-north
- Transcript of podcast:
- Sammanfattning av argumenten finns i:
https://www.dagensarena.se/essa/pa-spaning-efter-ny-socialdemokrati/
- Surabaya-lecture: 'Social democracy in Indonesia?' 20.08.2021. PDF
- Lecture and discussion 13-08-21: 'Kerala and democratic governance'.
- Anförande Palmedagen 2021 PDF
- 'The absence of the Left and the crisis of Indonesian democracy', to panel discussion LP3ES-UNDIP 19.08.21. PDF
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Interview with OT in Jurnal Sejarah : Perbandingan Analisa Sejarah Menjadi Krusial untuk Membangun Gerakan Progresif Alternatif:
Vol. 4 No. 2 (2021): Melihat Kembali Kekerasan 1965 dalam Historiografi Indonesia | Jurnal Sejarah
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Om diktatorn Marcos (Spotify pod) https://www.dropbox.com/s/ywyjy0v6hj7edj8/Diktatorer%20-%20Marcos%20-%20till%20Olle.mp3?dl=0
- In press: ‘Dilemmas of Labour and Populism in Indonesia’. In, Derichs, C., Andrea Fleschenberg, A., Sumrin Kalia, S. and Knorr, L. 'Local Responses to Global Challenges in Southeast Asia – A Trans-regional Studies Reader'. World Scientific Press. Draft: PDF
This homepage (with Swedish entries too) is to back up my retrospective ‘endbook’ In Search of New Social Democracy (2021) and related works in two ways. Firstly, with a collection of the previous writings that informed much of the book. Secondly, with briefings and analyses to follow up on the main conclusions. Entries to the archive are in the left column. Follow up briefings, comments and studies are below. But first, a few words about myself. I am a global historian and social scientist of Scandinavian roots.